The Great Escape

I will post a couple more photos, but in the mean time you can read a little about the symposium here!

my dad is cooler than your dad

Some local Cleveland news here. (academically) local here. And some interesting commentary here (read the comments). Something short and sweet here. Blogging here.

Michelle Erickson

If it isn't obvious, Michelle Erickson is COOL. I met her very briefly last year during Antiques Forum at Williamsburg (though I'm 100% sure she has no recollection of meeting me - you know how it is...). She makes reproduction ceramics, but I love her contemporary work in which she references the past in some pretty cheeky ways. My favorite from her website is this pickle stand, which is like a Bonnin & Morris example that we recently installed on the balcony, but with "made in China" added. When I saw some of her work last year, there were some really cool pieces... one I think had gilt ammo incorporated, if I remember correctly.

hee hee.

I saw this book sitting on the desk of one of our administrative assistants today. I'm going to refrain from commenting, and just let you ENJOY.

for furniture weenies

I just got home from Furniture Forum at Winterthur and I'm still tired from the cab driver's lecture on being good to your mother (hi mom!). Here is a brief recap of the past few days:

The grounds: Winterthur is beautiful. Saturday, especially, it was warm and sunny. See Jess's post for the cutsie lodgings, she did it better than I could. My version would be post-rain, but you'll get the idea.

The talks: Kem Widmer did not disappoint. He's done recent work on cabinetmaker Nathaniel Gould, and a portion of his lecture was about the discovery process, which I prefer to just a snoozerific summary of the findings. Jennifer Mass covered the sciency part of invesitgating painted furniture finishes, and though I think the Christie's contingent in the next row was bored, I was totally into it. Boy do I love a cross-section of paint layers! The other fun part was the demonstration of carving by Allan Breed - he carved a fan aaaand a Boston claw and ball foot right there for us - it was so cool, and I wish I could get some lessons from him (well, I could for $900...).

Bonus points: I met someone who gave me a 17th-century nail which is still in the pocket of my dress. Sweet potato fries with mood-lighting at Buckley's. Dinner at Pauline's. Driving. In 5th gear. Saw all four grandparents!

It's true. I heart SD.

it ALWAYS helps to creepily appear in the living rooms of strangers. Well, not strangers anymore.

just like at Peale's. kind of.

So, you know I'm currently apartment shopping in Brooklyn with the tried and true Alison. I'm already planning our interiors (what a surprise). One plan I have is a pair of silhouettes to hang in a yet-to-be-determined place. You know, because we don't have an apartment yet.

Remember in Sense and Sensibility when Kate Winslet delicately traces hottie mcWilloughby's profile in front of the fire? I'm gonna get romantical and do this with Alison. And somehow do my own too. I'm thinking of approaching it with a little technology though, via photoshop. After I have some images to work with, I will finish it the old fashioned way. With romance.

Iris Awards

I've been asked on a second date by the people at the Tiffany & Co. Foundation, to attend the Bard Graduate Center's Iris Awards luncheon. Little do they know that I always screw it up on the second date, and they will never ask me out again.

My first thought is (obviously), what should I wear? My second thought is, I'm going to the opera that night. My third thought is, ball gown???

note to self

Okay, so I stole this from The Peak of Chic. But I needed a reminder, since Gerald Bland doesn't have a website, as far as I can tell, and I'm really talented when it comes to forgetting things.

busy girl

Very soon I will be whisking myself away to two dec-arts-nerdy events: Winterthur's Furniture Forum and the Newport Symposium.

Furniture Forum is this coming week, and coincides with Brock Jobe's exhibition, Harbor and Home. Kem Widmer is going to do the big reveal on Nathaniel Gould; I'm also looking forward to seeing the always adorable Derin Bray speak. I'll get to see my family in the area, as well as drink wine with my former classmate and Mount Vernon diva, Sam! We are both staying on the property, and the grounds should be lovely. Weather dot com tells me low 60s, sans rain. I'm optimisticly bringing sandals.

Newport will be a little different: it's not my home, like Winterthur, and the people will be either totally new to me or... well, you know, not already established as my soulmates. Which is fine. Always more to be found, right? The topics relate to the Gilded Age and the multitude of inspirations therein, with plenty of time for the mansions. The theme is "Great Escapes," and it should be one for me too. I'm doing little excited dances when I think about this. You know the ones. It's at the end of the month.

I will report back with all the highlights.

p.s. thanks to all my supporters for travel funding/scholarships that allow me to attend these events!

my first exhibit

This morning I worked with my supervisor and two of our awesome technicians to hang my rotation of Tiffany drawings! All that's left to do is paint the little metal brackets on the sides to match the background color. My pictures are not great, but I think the real deal looks pretty good.

shout out

Have you visited The Magazine Antiques website recently? Loving the redesign, and I think a big chunk of credit goes to Carolyn Kelly. Such an improvement!

Whose Father Was He?

I have been riveted by Errol Morris's blog - the five installments about Amos Humiston, Civil War soldier who died holding an ambrotype of his children; the man who found it; what happened after; and how the story is being told now. Start with part one! The juiciest bits come from the post-war orphanage.

From a letter to his wife during the war:

January 2, 1863: “If I ever live to get home you will not complain of being lonesome again or of sleeping cold for I will lay as close to you as the bark to a tree.”

Talk about revival style...

Brits Sam Bompas and Harry Parr, AKA the Jellymongers, are bringing back jelly. Projects range from a Victorian Breakfast for Warwick Castle to a slightly more hip glow in the dark jelly. I'm all for a resurrection of the past with a hip twist. Read all about the revival of jellies!